Well done to Young Coronations on winning the CMCB Premier Cup.
And congrats to Young Men for winning the Presidents Cup.
Two weeks before, Young Coronations gave a sectional performance which many in the crowd judged to be better than the prizes they got.
It was therefore a sweet victory for them to win the Premier Cup.
Young Men had also come out from their sectional competitions with a mere 14 points.
Young Men are considered one of the “big guns” of the Cape Malay Choir Board and many were surprised that they did not make the Top 8.
On the night, their members and supporters showed real character as they jolled with the winning teams of that section.
For their outstanding sportsmanship, I am happy for their win in the Presidents Cup.
Their overall performance in the Presidents Cup was way better than their sectional performance.
It was once again a clear indication of how hard these teams practice.
Well done, Young Men.
The allegiances of nagtroepe are very often based on family ties.
Traditionally nagtroepe were either central Cape Town or Claremont-based.
My love for nagtroepe comes from both sides of my family.
My mother’s late brothers were deep into nagtroepe.
Her eldest brother Noortjie “Imampie” Fataar from District Six was a stalwart of Boarding Boys.
Her other brother Ismail “Maila” Fataar was a die-hard Studente man.
My allegiance though will always and forever lie with the Claremont team that my father was a founding member of - Primroses MVC.
This team had amazing choral success in the Cape Malay Choir Board in the early years, but have really been struggling recently.
Many members have passed away and others have gone to other teams.
Many other nagtroepe have broken out of Primrose MVC - and in the last couple of years Primrose had the lowest score in sectional competitions at times.
With all of this happening, many people have suggested that the team close down.
They have chosen not to. They have weathered the storm and looking at their performances in this year’s section and Presidents Cup, I am so glad they did!
Even with their “ handjie vol” men, the Primrose combined chorus and Nederlandsliedjie in particular was just awesome.
The spirit within the team is at an all-time high!
There is a revival at Primrose MVC which bodes well for the future.
My father, the late Ismail “Miley” Botha was chairperson of the team even at the time of his death, and his good friend Hadjie Abdullah Maged - who passed away last year - was the unpaid coach and hero of Primrose MVC from inception till the day he died.
The Primrose team of 2016 has paid respect to their past members and supporters - living and dead - with their performance, renewed spirit and attitude.
Loyalty isn’t about points and trophies - it’s about heart and soul.
So support your team and stay the course.
Our Cape Town culture ROCKS!